Tag Archives: US Airways

Living in the Miami area, and usually flying to Latin America, I usually fly with a select few airlines, like American, Lan, and Spirit, and most of my flights are non stop. Last week, however, I had to fly domestically (to Richmond), and had to fly on 2 different airlines, with connections both ways. This gave me the opportunity to experience other airline’s service and compare with what I usually get.

My flights to Richmond where on US Airways, which I had never flown before. I really can’t say there was anything wrong with the flights. They left on time, arrived on time, both in Charlotte and Richmond. What really surprised me was the barrage of announcements from the crew on the flight from Fort Lauderdale to Charlotte, asking for passengers to please keep the cabin clean and pass all the trash to the flight attendants. They said the airline no longer has a cabin cleanup crew (at least not for that flight), and the flight attendants were the ones responsible for getting the aircraft clean and ready for its next flight. I don’t know if this is standard operating procedure for US Airways, but it sure sounded strange. After all, if they can’t pay people to clean the planes, it doesn’t speak very well for their operation. By the way, no such announcement was made on the flight from Charlotte to Richmond. One flight attendant, however, did announce that “awful snacks are available for purchase”. OK, she did mean to say “Also, snacks are available for purchase”, but you couldn’t help smiling at her slip of the tongue.

My return flights were on Delta, through Atlanta. Other than a quick flight from Fort Lauderdale to Orlando, I hadn’t flown Delta in years. I have to say I was impressed. Our flight out of Richmond was almost 45 minutes delayed due to bad weather affecting the Atlanta area. The gate agents did a good job of keeping passengers informed, and made it a point to say that people with connection were not being affected by the delay. Sure enough, after landing in Atlanta, I had enough time to check for my next gate, head over there, and be there just when they were starting to board.

One thing I enjoyed very much on my flight from Atlanta was Delta’s entertainment system. In addition to the usual movies and music, for which you had to buy headphones or bring your own, it provided some video games (most of which you had to pay for). The one I ended up playing was a trivia contest, where you played real time against your fellow passengers. After each question, the screen shows which players had the right answer, keeps track of points, and even gives you the seat number of your competitors! It was a great way to pass the time and give dirty glances to the lady on 22C, or the guy in 26D, every time they got an answer you missed.

Score one for the people! US Airways announced yesterday that it’s reversing its decision to charge for non-alcoholic beverages aboard its flights. The airline had started charging for drinks, even water, in June of last year. At that time, it also announced charges for checked baggage and increased other fees.

Doug Parker, US Airways Chairman, announced yesterday:

“We are firmly committed to the a la carte model and believe it’s the right one for our business. It is also a work in progress – US Airways was the only large network carrier to charge for drinks and that put us at a disadvantage.”

What disadvantage is he referring to? Usually when an airline makes a change that impacts travelers negatively, it expcts the competition to to the same. It hapenned this way when American decided to charge for checking bags; it happened this way when Delta cut travel agent commissions; and it happens this way when they increase fares in a particular market. They hope the competition follows suit or that the public does not complain too much. When that doesn’t happen, they often back down and reverse the changes.

That’s why it’s important that us, as consumers, voice our opinions strongly when we don’t agree with the changes being made. If we don’t say anything, they stick. If we do, we have a chance. This is exactly what happened when United tried to charge for meals on international flights. Their letter specifically mentioned customer response as one of the reasons for backing out the charges.

If you’re tired of being nickel-and-dimed by the airlines, let them know. By the way, Southwest remains the only airline to not charge the fees added by the others last year. No fees for checking bags or for reserving by phone.